Monday, January 30, 2012

Home....tired

I got to the nursing home bright and early this morning. I got all of my moms stuff packed while my mom was sitting and waiting in the front rooms for me. She was ready to go but we had to wait for her discharge paperwork. Sitting there and watching all the activity made me realize why I had placed her in this home in the beginning. Everyone is very nice there and they really did treat my mom great. As each person would come over to say goodbye to her she would tell me how nice they were to her. We are not moving her because of the home but because a nursing home doesn't replace family. She needed family to come and visit her.

We got to the airport 2 1/2 hours early and it was a good thing we did. Stress and elderly guts do not go well together. Lets just say that I am very sorry to anyone who used the bathroom while we were there and that her pants got left in Texas (I did pack spares).

Next we went to the counter to pay $25 for our piece of luggage. Naturally the machine that creates the receipt for the luggage jammed so we had to wait for someone to come and print one manually.

Next....... security....the line had grown very long but we got escorted to the front. The only piece of ID I have for my mom is a very old drivers license. Needless to say it wasn't going to fly. I explained that she is coming from a nursing home and I don't have any other identification for her. We got to wait for a higher official to come and decide if they would let us through. She asked me if I had her prescriptions from the nursing home and I did. She looked at those and compared them with the name on the ticket and decided to let her go.

Next........ screeners......Mom got the full pat down. I guess they do that to everyone in a wheelchair.

Next....getting to the gate which is at the very end of the terminal (figures) Let me tell you, those guys who walk those wheelchairs almost run through the airport. I was sweating at this point. We got to the gate a few minutes before they started to board and my mom tells me that she wants some food. She knows just what she wants too. The lady who was ensuring that my mom got boarded properly told me to leave her with her ticket and she would ensure that my mom got boarded. So I got to run back up all those gates and get what my mom wanted........

When I got back my mom was boarded and I was able to join her. The flight was uneventful and my mom enjoyed her McDonalds. At the end of the flight we waited for them to bring on the wheelchair. I don't think that I have ever sat in an empty plane before.

Mom was anxious to get off. Two nice and strong men came in and picked her right up and put her on the wheelchair. I wish that I could bring them home! I have to say that all the folks at US Airways treated my mom great. I was worried about travelling with her because of her inability to walk but I had no problems. They worked very hard to accommodate her.

We had landed in Charlotte and had a connecting flight to Columbia. However, we had already decided that John would pick us up in Charlotte saving us the need to get on the puddle jumper. Tomorrow we will have to go to Columbia to pick up her suitcase.

Here are the prescriptions that got us passed through security.........

I am finding that my biggest challenge is getting her in the car. Anyone have suggestions for that. I get her out fine but positioning her behind far enough back to get in is proving difficult. A handicap vehicle is not in the budget but it sure would be nice to just put in the entire wheelchair.

Tomorrow I get to take mom to her doctors appointment. That shall be interesting.

Felicia,I have a wonderful aunt who is paralyzed and has been in a wheelchair for over 50 years now. She lived with us when I was a girl and my mom took care of her. I have also been able to stay with her a few times over the years and care for her. Before she had her handicap van we used a board that we called a slide board to help get her in and out of the car. It was so simple, just a flat board with tapered ends, very smooth and varnished so it was kind of slippery. We would push her wheelchair into the car door opening as close to the seat as it would go then slip on end of the board underneath her and the other end resting on the car seat then she could slide on the board into the car. I hope that makes sense. I think the board was about 10" wide, an inch thick and probably about 3 feet long. I don't remember exactly the size but I can find out the dimensions for sure if you think it would be helpful. Let me know!

I'm so glad you made it home safely. You mom must be a wonderful person to have raised such a sweet daughter! She must be so happy to be close to you!